Kazakhstan is placing a strong emphasis on promoting a culture of reading. In May this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a corresponding decree. It is not only schools that should be involved in this effort. At the recent August Conference, the Head of State called for greater involvement of public figures, journalists, and representatives of the creative community. A comprehensive set of measures is already being implemented across the country. Under the Children’s Library program, a list of 1,770 works from different periods and genres of Kazakh and world literature has been compiled. Approaches aimed at developing critical thinking in children are also being introduced into the educational process. The main goal is to foster an interest in books from an early age and make reading together a family tradition.
«Our school has a well-established tradition of family reading, with parents actively joining their children. They regularly take part in reading activities, share their ideas, engage in discussions, and help their children develop their thinking skills,» noted Aigul Ossipova, primary school teacher at school-gymnasium No. 80.
«Here in the library, I work with children at scheduled times. I read fairy tales to them and help them learn poems by heart, all with the aim of fostering a love of reading. After all, books are a source of knowledge. Reading helps children grow, broaden their horizons, and gain new knowledge. If a child develops a love for reading, it can truly open up a world of opportunities for them,» said Kulyash Moldakhmetova, announcer, veteran of Qazaq Radiosy.
Kazakhstan is also implementing the Reading Nation project. It is aimed not only at fostering a sustainable culture of reading, but also at supporting domestic literature and enhancing the intellectual potential of society. As part of the project, reading marathons, literary meetings, and creative evenings with writers are being held across the country. Particular attention is being paid to developing libraries as modern cultural and intellectual spaces. The country is also expanding their digital capabilities and creating dedicated coworking areas. For example, the country’s third Presidential Library, which will be open 24/7, is currently being built in Kyzylorda.
«Since
the beginning of the year, more than 10,000 new readers have registered at our
National Academic Library. Previously, it took us a year or even longer to
reach this figure, but we have now achieved it in just seven to eight months.
To make the library more convenient for our readers, we have opened a modern
coworking space. We also plan to open a reading room for teenagers in the near
future,» said Balzhan Yerkebayeva, Deputy Head of the
Reader Registration and Services Department, National Academic Library of the
Republic of Kazakhstan.
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